Which way is your tent facing?...

In Genesis 13:13, we learn of a city called Sodom where men “were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.” This city was wicked because of its immorality, idleness, pride, gluteny, refusal to help the needy, etc. The Lord was angry with Sodom because “their sin [was] very grievous.” (Gen. 19:20) These grievous sins ultimately ended up destroying the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. There are many lessons that we can learned from the actions and fate of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Just like in the times of Sodom and Gomorrah, we also live in a wicked and evil time where many people have the mentality of “eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us.” (2 Nephi 28:7) At every turn we find ourselves in the face of immorality, corruption, dishonesty, and so much more. It is hard sometimes to find a safe haven where we can metaphorically “pitch our tent” towards something of safety and Godliness. It may not be easy, but we learn from the example of Abraham that it is possible.

Abraham was a man of God and after separating himself from Lot, he “removed his tent and came and dwelt in...Mamre...and built an altar unto the Lord.” (Gen. 13:18) When finding himself in a compromising situation, Abraham was the ultimate example of what we need to do in our lives when faced with evil and wickedness. We not only need to turn away, but remove our tent and pitch it in a holy place where we can feel of the Holy Spirit. This may be to the temple, the church, or most importantly our home. Which ever place we choose to pitch our tent, we need to make sure it is a safe haven that we can rest from the temptations of the world.

In 3 Nephi 13:24 we are told that “no man can serve two masters.” This is the same with the way we pitch our tent. We cannot pitch our tent two ways, so we must choose whether to pitch our tent towards the Lord or to pitch it towards Satan. Lot is a perfect example of what happens when we choose to pitch our tent towards Satan. We are told in Gen. 13:12 that Lot “pitched his tent toward Sodom.” We are not told how Lot progressed to live in Sodom, but we find out in Gen. 14:12, that Lot “dwelt in Sodom” along with “his good”. From these scriptures we see that by facing his tent towards Sodom, he was eventually enticed by the lifestyle and moved into the middle of all the wickedness.

Many of us “pitch our tents towards Sodom”by certain actions and decisions we make in our lives. Many times we give into the temptations of Satan because they present the idea of fun, easiness, ways to avoid trouble, etc. When giving into these temptations, we submit ourselves to Sodom just like Lot did. If we flirt with temptation for too long, we will no longer be able to resist it and we will move right into living and thinking the same way the world does. There may be times of pleasure, but in the end it will destroy us just like it did Sodom and Gomorrah.

I know that we live in a time of great wickedness, but there is much righteousness as well. We need to make sure that we find those places of righteousness and cling to them so that we do not give into the temptations that are around us. We are blessed with God's true church upon the earth and I know if we follow it's teachings that we will be protect from the storm. It is not going to be easy by any means, but I know it is possible!

What we can learn from the story of Cain and Abel

**Here is my first blog post for my Old Testament Class**

Many of us know the story about Cain and Abel from the book of Genesis in the Old Testament. Have any of us actually taken the time to really dive into the story and find principles that we can apply into our lives? The important part of the story is not just the well known part of Abel being slain by Cain, but how Cain got to the point where he could actually take the life of his own brother.

In scriptures from both Genesis and Moses, we find that Cain had more sinful acts than just murdering his brother Abel. Cain's problems stemmed from the fact that “Cain loved Satan more than God.” (Moses 5:18). Because of his love for Satan, Cain did not respect the Lord and ended up giving an insufficient offering to the Lord. The Lord did not respect the offering that Cain presented and Cain “was very wroth” (Gen. 4: 5) with the Lord. Joseph Smith expounds more in the Old Testament Student Manual about why the Lord felt Cain's offering was insufficient. “[Cain's offering]... was not accepted, because he could not do it in faith” and “whatsoever is not of faith, is sin.” Why is that faith was required to be part of Cain's offering? Because one must have faith in the Atonement of Christ and their ability to be forgiven by the Lord in order to receive the forgiveness and blessings that come from an offering. Cain needed to realize that there needed to be a sacrifice on his part so that he could show that he understood the sacrifice that the Savior made by giving up his life so that we may all be forgiven of our sins and live again. Even though Cain lacked the faith to make a proper offering to the Lord, the Lord did not give up on Cain and told him to repent or “he would rule over Satan.” ( Gen. 4:7)

Just like Cain's unacceptable offer to the Lord, our own offerings can be unacceptable as well. Many times in our lives we are just “going through the motions” and “doing what we are suppose to be doing” but not actually thinking about why we are doing those things. From the story of Cain and Abel, we learn that the Lord requires us to have faith in our offerings so that he can accept them. We need to exercise more faith in every aspect of our lives whether it be our prayers, scripture study, service to others, fast offerings, tithing, etc. With that added faith and conviction that what we are doing is pleasing to the Lord, we will end up receiving more blessings that will help us in our time upon this earth. We will also receive more strength to resist the temptations of Satan so that we do not give into him like Cain did.

When the Lord did not accept Cain's offering, Cain “was very wroth, and his countenance fell.” (Moses 5:21) Instead of accepting the Lord's offer of repentance and forgiveness, Cain “listened not any more to the voice of the Lord.” (Moses 5:26). From that point on, Cain began to converse exclusively with Satan and secretly plotted out to kill his brother Abel. After seeking his brother out and slaying him, the Lord came to Cain and asked “where is Abel thy brother?” and Cain replied “I know not. Am I my brother's keeper?” (Gen. 4:9). The irony of Cain's question is that we ARE our brother's keeper. Many times in the scriptures the Lord tells us that we need to “love our neighbor as thy self” and that statement alone places a responsibility upon us to serve and love our family, friends, and neighbors.

The story of the Good Samaritan found in Luke 10 in a perfect example of how lots of people get wrapped up in their own judgmental and selfish lives. How many of us would have been one of the people that walked to the other side of the street to avoid the unknown injured man that was dying in the middle of the road? I hate to think anyone capable of doing that, but how many times in our lives do we do similar things? There are times in all of our lives where we have seen someone in need and should have reached out a helping hand, but we used the excuses of having no time, not knowing the person, being scared of rejection, etc. In those situations, are we not responding to the Lord's question that same way that Cain did? “ Am I my brother's keeper?” Instead of a question, it should be a statement that reads “I AM my brother's keeper.” I know that I need to do better to follow the Savior's example of charity and love for all and be better about reaching out a helping hand no matter what the situation. We all have a responsibility to be our brothers keeper.

In Alma 3:27 it reads “every man receiveth wages of him whom he listeth to obey.” We all have agency to choose who we are going to listen to and obey. We can either choose to follow the Lord or to follow Satan. Our purpose in this life is the prove the we are worthy to return to live with our Heavenly Father again. We prove our worthiness through the choices and decisions we make upon this earth. We have that opportunity to choose because of the agency that was given to us by the Lord. Cain had the same agency that we all have. He could have chosen to repent of his insufficient offering and reject Satan, but instead he chose a path of unrighteousness that lead to the killing of his brother and a life of sin. We all have the agency to choose what we want to do in this life, but just like the story of Cain there are consequences to every decision that we make.

I have a testimony that if we choose to serve the Lord and have faith in him, that our lives will be extremely blessed. Satan has nothing to offer except a life of heartache and misery. I know what it feels like to fall to temptation and the feelings and consequences that come along with it are not worth it. Choose to stay on the Lord's side. His side is one of true eternal happiness. I know that if we make good choices and focus on getting to know the Lord better, that we will will become better and our lives will be blessed because of it. I know this church is true and that the stories that we read in the Old Testament really did happen. I know that the principles taught in the Old Testament are still applicable to us today and if we choose to apply them into our lives we will be blessed. I encourage everyone that reads this post to make the choice found in Jos. 24:15 “as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Niagara Falls, NY and Palmyra, NY Trip...

This past weekend Clint and I finally made it to Niagara Falls. Since moving to the East Coast we have wanted to go but there are so many things on our "want to do" list. We left on Thursday and drove half the way and then camped. The next morning we headed to the falls. What an amazing sight they were. They did not disappoint. Our favorite part was riding the Maid of the Mist boat right into the center of the Horseshoe falls which are on the Canada side. Being able to be right at the feet of the falls was absolutely amazing. We could feel the rumble of the waterfalls right under our feet and the mist coming off of the falls was so heavy that it literally drenched us (luckily they gave us some ponchos). That experience gave me more respect for the power and beauty that nature holds. If anyone visits the falls, I would recommend doing the boat ride to the base of the falls. There is no other way to fully experience them and their power! The trip was completely worth it and I am already planning another trip, but this time we will go over and experience the falls from the Canada side. ( My passport became invalid after we got married and I haven't gotten a new one yet so we couldn't drive over to the Canada side to view them). 

After Niagara, we headed down to Palmyra. We were able to visit the Peter Whitmer farm where the golden plates were shown to the three witnesses. We also visited the Sacred Grove again. The spirit there was so strong and it truly does stand as a witness of the restoration of the gospel and of Joseph Smith. Saturday night we saw the Palmyra Pageant. It was just as good as last year! I love seeing all the reenactments of the Book of Mormon stories. It bring them to life and radiates a spirit that testifies of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. The whole trip was amazing and renewed my testimony of the gospel and of the flawless design of nature by our Heavenly Father. 

My first time using our cast iron skillet to make breakfast over the fire.

Aren't they beautiful?!

Bridge into Canada

Right in the middle of the Horseshoe Falls!

Just a little wet...

Cooking biscuits over the fire. They got a little burned but they were still good.

Peter Whitmer home. This is in the upper room where the plates were translated.

Peter Whitmer Farm

Peter Whitmer Home

Awesome tree in the Sacred Grove

Smith Home

Palmyra Pageant

Lehi!!

Clint's favorite part of the trip... Deep fried broccoli.

 

{The first video is of us right in the middle of the Horseshoe Falls. Sorry for the loud screaming in the background. I got a little too excited. :) The second video is of the American Falls and the amazing amount of water that goes over them.}

A few of my favorite things...

I have failed once again at regularly updating our blog. I partly chalk it up to the fact that my camera broke and blogs just aren't as fun without pictures to view. (I apologize now for some of the pictures on this post. Because my camera is broken I have been using my phone and Ipod to take pictures.) Yesterday we taught our primary class about expressing gratitude and it got me thinking about all the things that I am grateful for. Being here in Connecticut now for a little over a year has opened up so many new experiences that I am thankful to my Heavenly Father for. Here are just a few:

1- Fireflies - I had no idea that Connecticut had fireflies, so the first night I saw them I literally freaked out and ran to find a jar to catch my very first one. Each night I sit on the couch and look out the window at all the twinkling lights and I can't help but be thankful for such beautiful creatures.

My first firefly

2- Nature - Being able to live out amongst nature and be so close to it has given me a greater appreciation for it. I love opening the door each morning and stepping out into our little forest of trees and seeing the sun gleaming off the leaves. I love walking among all our countless colorful flowers and picking fresh raspberries off our raspberries bushes. I can't think of anything more peaceful and calming than nature and we get to live right in the middle of it.

Freshly picked raspberries

Purple hydrangeas

A mixture of colorful flowers

3- Our House - I never imagined at the age of 23 that I could say "I am a home owner". I feel extremely blessed to have somewhere I can call my own.

4- Living here in Connecticut - When we were first deciding whether to stay here permanently or not, I was kind of against it. I really wanted to be closer to family and was struggling with the idea of living so far away. As we talked about it though, Clint and I felt that this is where we were suppose to be and looking back over the past year I know this is where we are suppose to be. We have been blessed with awesome neighbors and friends, a great ward, many school and work opportunities, and many other experiences that we would not have had if we had moved back to the West. I am grateful for all the opportunities that we have had and will continue to have. 

One blessing of living here in Connecticut was being able to graduate!

5- Family - Living so far away from family has been really hard. I miss them every day. Living this far away from them has given me a greater appreciation for them. I am grateful for the support and love they give both me and Clint in all the decisions and choices that we make.

6- Gardening - I have always wanted to start a garden, but the circumstances just weren't right until now. Being able to plant a garden this year has opened my eyes to how amazing nature is. It is amazing to watch a little seed grow into a plant that provides food for us and then to watch it produce seeds that can be planted the following year for another harvest. It is a gift that keeps on giving. This has strengthened my testimony on the flawless design of nature by our Father in heaven. 

7- Animals - Living so close to nature means living close with many forms of wildlife. I have already seen deer, bunnies, snakes, woodpeckers, frogs, toads, fireflies, countless bugs, etc. It is so neat to wake up in the morning and eat breakfast while watching a deer walk through your backyard. Or to pet a little bunny rabbit that is hiding under one of the bushes. I also love hearing the birds chirp all throughout the day, especially in the morning when I first wake up. 

Baby bunny I found in our bushes.

8- The Gospel - Living so far away from family has given me a greater appreciation for the term "ward family". Our ward has become like family to us and they are such good examples of living great and extraordinary lives. I know that this all stems from the gospel teachings and further more from the teachings of our Savior and Heavenly Father. I am so grateful for this gospel and the fact that no matter where I may end up, I will always have people to turn to for comfort and companionship. 

9- Air Conditioning - For some reason there is quite a few people out in New England who haven't figured out what air conditioning is. Our house has no central AC and that has been hard for me to grasp. We finally went and bought one window AC unit that is in our bedroom and I am grateful for it each and every day, especially when it is hot and humid. 

10-  My husband - I am not one to get mushy, but I am very grateful for my husband. Clint does so much for me. He spent a lot of time in school that paid off with this awesome job he now has. He goes to work each day so that we can have this house and food and everything else that we have been blessed with. I am so grateful that he allows me to stay home and develop some hobbies that I have wanted to. Me not working also allows me to completely focus on school during the school year. He is so good to me and I am grateful for that each and every day. 

I know I need to do better about being thankful for all my many blessings. To often I get caught up on all the things I don't have and don't take the time to think of all the countless blessing I do have. I encourage you all to take more time to be thankful for all the many things that make your lives great. I am so grateful for the primary lesson that reminded me that I need to do that more. 

P.S. Update: Here is a little house update. After a few months we finally got the living room pretty much done. I still need to paint the hallway and decorating the dining room and living room are next on my to do list. Stay tuned for more updates and pictures. 

Before

After

Before

After

My finished herb garden window